The present invention relates to a method for installing an outfitting component onto a module frame.
In an engine room of a ship, various outfitting components such as machines, pipes, electrical cables, etc. are installed and fixed on a hull structure. Normally, a deck of the hull is built and then outfitting components are brought on or below the deck for their installation and fixing on or underneath the deck.
This conventional method has many ground and onboard operations in installation and fixing which are carried out under poor environmental conditions so that its working efficiency is low and an installation period is long. The onboard installation and fixing operations will require frequent adjustments during the operations due to size or dimensional errors, which further reduces the working efficiency.
In order to solve such problems, a module outfitting method is applied in which outfitting components are divided into a plurality of groups and a group of outfitting components is installed onto a module frame in advance in a factory or the like. An outfitted module frame is then loaded onto a ship for installation. Further outfitted module frames are loaded and connected with other outfitted module frame.
This contemplated method would drastically reduce operations done onboard and shorten a period of installation and fixing since merely the module frames manufactured outboard with outfitting components mounted thereto were brought onboard for connection.
However, the contemplated method is regarded impractical. Because, even if the above-mentioned module frames can be fabricated with a relatively high degree of accuracy in a factory or the like, dimensional errors may be accumulated depending upon how to mount outfitting components to module frames and how to position the module frames upon installation thereof onboard, which will require adjustments between the module frames and between the outfitting components. Such adjustments will require a considerable amount of time as well as much labor.
For example, particularly in the case where a straight pipe system extends over several module frames, it is conceivable that deviations in accuracy of the individual module frames and errors in fabricated dimension of straight pipes are accumulated, so that considerable gaps or interferences may appear between pipes at module joints because of short length of the pipes or long length of the pipes.
Hitherto commonly effected in such a case is use of adjustable pipes to absorb the dimensional errors, which is however disadvantageous in that a number of extra parts (adjustable pipes) are required and that an installation period may be prolonged as the result of inefficient adjusting jobs in the ship.
The present invention was made in view of the above and has its object to provide a method for installing piping components onto a module frame so as to ensure connections without adjustable pipe at a module frame joint with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness.
Now, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.